Ocean Springs, Mississippi’s Funeral Date is a post-punk/darkwave project founded in 2022 by Tony Arnold, and frankly, one of the most exciting and original projects to ever come out of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Arnold fuses lush synth-wave melodies with shimmery dream-pop guitars, vintage drum machines, and lo-fi bedroom production to generate a style that is simultaneously out of the past and modern, feeling like a sun-faded memory.

Drawing influences from artists such as The Cure, New Order, Depeche Mode, and Cocteau Twins, Funeral Date’s music is designed to be sad, yet danceable, establishing its own brand of “happy-sad.”

Funeral Date’s first album, titled Coastgoth, was self-released on September 1, 2022, and was followed by scores of southern U.S. live dates. Arnold’s second release, an EP titled Out of Prayers, was released June 23 via Arnold’s own Diabetic Koala Records.

“After I recorded my debut album last year, I went through a lot of personal strife, including my wife suffering two miscarriages. Those feelings are what influenced the sound and spirit of this EP more than any musical influence. These four songs reflect the place where my head has been following those tragedies and my journey of healing.”

Live dates:

7/20 – The Handlebar – Pensacola, FL

7/21 – Switchyard – Hattiesburg, MS

8/20 – Switchyard – Hattiesburg, MS

Photo by Halie Diaz